Obama poised to throw another ally under the ISIS bus

I must ask if the intent of Obama’s declared air strikes was to “degrade” ISIS — then why is ISIS still conducting offensive operations? It’s a simple question I would love to pose to White House mouthpiece Josh “Not So” Earnest or even the Pentagon spokesman — and by the way, the Pentagon spokesperson should NEVER be a uniformed military member folks, that’s a political position. The U.S. Navy admiral currently filling those duties should not be there espousing Obama administration talking points in an attempt to provide cover and credibility. Anyway, I digress. Back to those ISIS offensive operations…

As reported by the UK Guardian, “Islamic State militants stepped up their attacks on the Syrian Kurdish city of Kobani on Friday in what some Kurdish activists described as a “possibly decisive moment in the battle.” Idris Nassan, Kobani’s deputy foreign affairs minister, said shelling on the city, near the Turkish border, had intensified since early morning. “Isis stepped up attacks and shells Kobani from the east,” he said, adding that Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG) were able to destroy a tank in a village 4km (2.5 miles) from the city, where a large black cloud of smoke visible was from the Turkish border. “YPG fighters are still holding up the defence of Kobani for the moment,” Nassan told the Guardian. “And they will fight to the last drop of blood.” Kurdish forces have in recent days evacuated several villages around the city, and more refugees crossed the border into Turkey.”

The purpose of the tactical task to “degrade” is to adversely affect the capability and capacity of a specified segment of the enemy. We have had this discussion here previously and so we must ask Obama the Great, exactly what are you degrading in Syria if ISIS is still conducting combined arms operations with tanks, infantry, and artillery?

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Now folks that ain’t what we call a “jayvee” team — that is maneuver warfare and if ISIS has no air power or credible air defense capability, then why are we only conducting bombing operations at night? And again, combat troops on the ground, designating enemy forces enables an effective sharing operation and close air support.

You know, it’s funny, Obama dispatched U.S. military resources and air support for Islamist rebels in Libya over a “humanitarian crisis,” yet what’s he doing against ISIS? Ah, I get it, anything to help his Islamist buddies, but I guess the Kurds don’t quite meet the criteria.

The Guardian says, “according to local media, Isis took the strategically crucial Zorova Hill to the west of Kobani back from Kurdish YPG forces late on Thursday night. Sources in the Kurdish Democratic Union party, the political wing of the YPG, announced that fighters had retreated to the city to prepare for “guerrilla-style urban warfare”. In Kobani itself, the mood appeared to be defiant. “Isis will never be able to take this city”, said Bahar, a resident speaking from the office of the defense minister, Ismet Hasan. “We are prepared to face them inside Kobani – if they enter, this city will become their grave.” Bahar said the city was under heavy attack from all sides. “They fire missiles and rockets at the city, they use heavy weaponry to attack us here. But if they think they can take the city like this they are wrong; that’s a miscalculation.”

Bahar also said thousands of civilians were still in Kobani, contrary to some reports. “Many of these people don’t want to leave, but stay and defend their own land. Others came back from Turkey to fight.”

So President Obama, did the intelligence community underestimate the capability of ISIS again? I don’t think so. My assessment is that B. Hussein Obama doesn’t want to confront ISIS and is “looking for love in all the wrong places” — such as from Qatar, Turkey, Iran, and Saudi Arabia. We should have long since flooded the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) with immense support — and not MREs and socks like we sent to the Ukrainian Army — but the modern tools of warfare to combat ISIS and then put ground operators in to direct our air power.

That formula worked in Afghanistan against the Taliban and al-Qaida and chased them to the gates of hell known as the Tora Bora mountain region – frankly I still don’t know what Obama means about the “success in Yemen.” Unless he’s talking about the other side…

And the real reason Turkey has said it will join the fight has nothing to do with defeating ISIS but rather in defeating any hopes of Kurdish strength and independence – as I mentioned here. Not only has Turkey allowed Islamic jihadists to transit through and enter Syria to join ISIS — now another group is transiting into Syria — the Kurds.

As The Guardian story states, “many Kurds from Turkey have also joined the fight against ISIS. According to the pro-Kurdish daily Özgür Gündem, at least 11 of 25 YPG fighters killed in the past 17 days had Turkish passports. Nassan confirmed volunteers from Turkey had arrived in Kobani, but said many of them had little or no fighting experience. “Some have done their military service, but some have no experience at all,” said Nassan. “We need to train them first. The YPG does not take these volunteers to the frontlines, they help out with other means.” Nassan also stressed there was no lack of fighters, but of weaponry and ammunition. “We need heavy weapons and more ammunition, we are running low, all we have is ammunition for light arms.”

“Air strikes conducted by the US-led coalition have not slowed the ISIS advance, and Nassan said strikes in Raqqa and Idlib had made matters worse. “ISIS fighters from these provinces come to join the fight on Kobani; they run from there to come here. We need air strikes to help us.” He urged the international community to step up both military and relief efforts to help Syrian Kurds. “We have no hospitals here anymore, and few medical supplies. We are running low on everything: food, water, milk for children.”

So not only must we ask Obama how is it that ISIS is still conducting offensive operations? We must also ask, why have you lied to the American people, telling us you’ve provided weapons and support to the Kurds? As well, why support and train Islamist Syrian rebels, when we have Kurdish fighters who want to fight and kill ISIS?

I once said Barack Hussein Obama is one of the dumbest presidents ever back in 2010 and was asked about that in 2011 in an interview with NPR. I stand by that comment, but I must also add he is one of the most dangerous and — as I’ve said before and addressed with Greta von Susteren — represents a clear and present danger not just to our Republic, but also to the world. We are doing nothing to stop ISIS from a strategic perspective, and if you are in Kobani, certainly not from a tactical viewpoint.

Meet Allen West

Allen West was born and raised in Atlanta, Georgia in the same neighborhood where Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. once preached. He is the third of four generations of military servicemen in his family.

During his 22 year career in the United States Army, Lieutenant Colonel West served in several combat zones: in Operation Desert Storm, in Operation Iraqi Freedom, where he was a Battalion Commander in the Army’s 4th Infantry Division, and later in Afghanistan.